Underwater divers, particularly scuba divers, often utilize a diver identification means, typically a dive flag, on a float to indicate the position of the diver at the water's surface while he or she is beneath the surface of a body of water. As the dive flag is intended to indicate the position of the diver at the surface of the water, dive flags are commonly attached to floats which have sufficient buoyancy to maintain the flag's position at the surface of the water.
Current diver identification units generally consist of a float, such as a buoy or inflatable tube, with a dive flag mounted thereon so that the flag may be easily seen by others as the float sits on the water's surface.
A dive line, rope or lanyard is also used in conjunction with the flag, float and the diver. One end of the dive line is attached to the float, while the other end is attached to or held by a diver. Divers commonly have a reel or line holder that they will hold onto or somehow attach to the diver that allows the dive line to be taken in or out. As the diver descends, the diver unwinds the line from the reel. Conversely, as the diver ascends, the diver must reel in or rewind the dive line around the holder.
During descent, it is desirable to maintain the identification means generally directly above the diver so that boats or other surface dangers are able to ascertain the location of the diver and the diver can safely dive. However, as the diver descends and the dive line is unwound from the holder, normal wave action will move the float away from the diver. Movement of the float away from the diver occurs at a greater rate when slack is present in the dive line and/or when there is intense wave action due to wind or tides. When the diver wishes to move the identification means to the more desirable position of being located substantially directly above the diver, the diver must reel in or rewind the dive line around the holder to take up the slack and thus pull the float towards the diver. Pulling the float buoy to the proper position while underwater can compromise the safety of the diver as a risk of entanglement in the dive environment may ensue.
Generally, it takes both hands of the diver to reel in or rewind the dive line around a reel or holder. Therefore, a diver is momentarily incapacitated and wastes dive time in order to maintain his or her safety. Additionally, since both hands of a diver are required to modify the position of the float, the diver may become disoriented or may be unaware of other activities in the environment, such as currents, dangerous animals or dangerous geologic features that may even further compromise the safety of the diver. Thus, it can be seen that the requirement of maintaining the dive line generally directly above the diver using conventional equipment makes the dive experience cumbersome and awkward.
Herein is disclosed a hands free flotation device for use in diving. The hands free flotation device disclosed may be described as a diver identification unit that provides motorized and multi-directional surface movement of the unit that supports an identification means for visual identification of an underwater diver's location at the surface of a body of water. The automatic diver identification unit disclosed herein further provides motorized adjustment of a dive line releasably connected to an underwater diver. The motorized movements of the automatic diver identification unit are controlled by an electronic control system and/or sensors, triggers or relays that instruct electrical motors such that the diver identification unit maintains a position substantially above a diver at the surface of a body of water while the diver is submerged.
The unit provides 360° directional movement at the surface of the body of water, based on vertical and horizontal relationships between the unit and the diver. Movement is executed through an automatic motor response that communicates with a propulsion device to drive the movement of the unit on the surface of the water.
The motorized, automatic dive line adjustment is based on the vertical relationship between the automatic diver identification unit and the diver. The dive line is retracted or released by an automatic motor response to sensor and/or trigger inputs. In this manner, a slack-free dive line is maintained between the diver and the unit.
The characteristics and response time of both the propulsion movement and the dive line adjustment is modifiable and programmable by a user of the unit. In this manner, the unit can be adjusted to fit the conditions of the dive environment.
The automatic diver identification unit is also designed for extra storage of articles and items of a diver's choice. The unit is portable, such that a single person can transport the unit from his or her vehicle to the dive site.
Thus, the automatic diver identification unit disclosed herein provides the advantage of hands free diving with an automatic slack free dive line and automatic location adjustment of the unit to maintain a vertical orientation substantially directly above the diver. Through the use of the automatic diver identification unit, a diver need not become preoccupied with maintaining vertical orientation of a float and further need not become preoccupied with safety concerns such as entanglement or disorientation. Therefore, the disclosed automatic diver identification unit increases the safety of divers while further enhancing the diver's dive time and dive experience.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly realized through the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the brief description of the drawings.